Car-identifying appliance



Aug.' 2, 1927. 1,637,542 l l S. K. WOOD CAR IDENTIFYING APPLIANCE Filed March 21. 1927 Z0 MMM l Mmmm.

Patented Aug. ',2, 1927'.y t

UNITED j STATES this being true irrespective ot Dwhetherkthe appliance is in operative position on the car emot, f yi ,c

My object is to produce a ydevice otthe yclass mentioned wh'icli'involvesthe use ot a ykey having the dual function ot locking the members-ot the casing together as regards slidable movement thereof and of destroying the certificate upon being ywithdrawn to permit the casing members to rbe slid out of s engagement. s

With the above fundamental object in view, the invention consists in certain novel yand useful features of `construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it maybe fully understood, re'lferenceis to be had 4to the accompanying drawing, in'which:

Figure l is a front viewof a car identitying appliance embodying the invention. Figure 2 is a central lvertical sectionot thesame. f w s Figure B is a central horizontal section et `the same.` i

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective 'View of the appliance, the view being trom `the rear and as though Figure 3 hady been rotated onk a horizontal axis `to bring its rear side into view. n'

Figure y5 is a detail perspective view of a key rforming a part of the appliance. Referring to the drawing in detail, `l indicates the back member, the same ybeing generally ont rectangular 4ttorm and made from sheet steel or other suitable metal, they top edge of the member being iformed at its front side with a downwardly opening hook 2. kAbout midway theheight ot' said mene ber, it isftormed with a pair ot' outwardly projecting perforated ears 3 which initially project a slight distance beyond the side ymargins ofthe member, ris slotted as at 4 lroni the perforation out- Ward,for a purpose 'which' hereinafter aplpeais;k In order that said' ears may be contour kto the yback member,

and oney of the ears `CAIR-IDEETIFYING A1'PILIANfIIl nppiieamn med March 21, i927. sekriaiu. 171,114.

spaced rearwardly in a plane backtof the body portion `of the member, the latter in the plane et the upper and lower edges of the ears is ytermed with incisions 5, the por tion'between `the incisions vand forming a continuatonof the ears as shown moet clearly by Flgures 3 and 4, being .preSEed b ack their junction withy the body portionasatGL, i i s In the horizontal plane of tlieears 3 and between the' same, the bodyportion is cut vertically near one of the earsud troni said cut nearly to the lear at the opposite Aside/is vpressedrearwardly as at? isoform a horizontal channel, the 'uncut end of the channelbeing rounded as at 8 for a purpose which hereinafter appears, it being noted in this connection that the bottom el the chair nel occupies a vertical plane slightly rearward of theears 3, and above and below the g v11,637,542, TENT o'FFicam f s'rnAUD @x1 woon, or HUToHiNsoN, KANSAS.

channel at suitable pontsthe plate l iS yformed with rearwardly projecting bosses i `9 olf the samedepth as thechannel, so that4 when the appliance is pressed against the dash or other suitable part of the car, it. will have a lfirm bearing thereon and thus have no tendency to rock kor vibrate and hence produce undesirable noises when the car is yin motion.

vTheifront member 10 of the appliance `is also preferably made ofsheet steelor the like, andy conforms substantially in size and At its side margins it isprovided with rearwardly and inwardly disposed hooks 11 for slidable engageinent witlithe side edges of the member l forward of the ears 3 thereof, and to limit `upwardr sliding movement of the member ll() yupon member l, and to hold thetwo inembers firmly together at ktheir upper and lower 'edges aswell as their side edges, the fronty 'member is provided with a rearwardlyiand upwardlyrdisposed hook 1 2 at its lower edge "for engagement with the ylower edge of the back member as the upper edge of the front y v Lmember enters and engages the hook 2 at the top of the back member. To securely lock the two members together against slidlable disengagement, the hooks 1l are provided with notches 13, which when the two membersl are in operative relation, occupy the horizontal plane of the perforations of ythe earsB, ,and receive the' inner edges ot the heads 12 of bolts fitted through ythe per foi-ated ears for securing the appliance in 'operative position upon thedash ory other.

"2 i l v l 1,637,542

part of the ear, the heads of the VVbolts thus making it impossible to slide the two meinj bers apart. As hereinafter explained it will be seen that said members are alsol prevented from being slid apart, by a key hereinafter described, the key cooperating` with the heads of the bolts in the function mentioned l when the appliance is fastened in placeand likewise performing the same function when the appliance isv detached from a support and the bolts have been removed.

rlo provide a chamber between the meinbers, the front member isV pressed forwardly intermediate its margins to provide a panel lo, and said panel is provided with large window or opening 16. Before the members are fitted together, a heavy plate of glass ll k or the like, is fitted snugly in said chamber,

and is provided in its rear face withV a horizontal groove or slot i8 extending from a point in the plate contiguous to and laterally beyondthe rounded'end 8 of channel 7, to or near the opposite edge of the plate, and said channel for practically its full length is bridged by a paper 'or equivalent license certiticate 19, the certificate being fitted against therback of the plate and preferably folded at its upper and lower ends over the upper *and lower edges of the plate to not only pre vvent slippage of the `certificate but to also serve between the plate `17 and the back and front yfineinloers as a. buffer and protection against the vibration of the plate andnoises v incidental theret0.-

When the plate and certificate havey been assembled as explained, a key 20 is slid endwise into the channel 7 back'of the `certificate, and said key upon encounter withv the rounded end 8 of the channel, is bent forwardly under suitable endwise'pressure on the key, and caused to perforate the certificate and enter the groove ori slot bridged therebyrof plate 17, theaction beingv made Vmore effective by yforming the advanced end of the key with a narrow extension or tongue 21. This weakens the key so that its advanced end can Vbe more readily bent ordeflected and caused to perforate said certificate Vand enter the groove or slot ofthe plate 17 and in thisv connection it shouldbe stated that thekey ork its extensionshould be of ductile' character so-that when unrelieved-of pressure against thecurved end of channel 7, it shall'maintainv its bent or Vdeliected relationaso that whenk they key is withdrawn slidingly from the channel, saidk deflected end or tongue shall travel in the groove or slot and thus tear the certificate for practically its full width. The key at its eX- posed end beyond` the open end of the channel 7 fits flatly against thev adjacent ear 3 and is provided with an opening 22 registering with the perforation of such ear, so that the bolt which eXtendsfthrough said ear shall llikewise extend'through thekey and guard against its accidental or other withdrawal from the channel.V Nhen the bolt mentioned is withdrawn, a button hool; or pin narrowei' thanthe slots, can berinserted through the registering openings of said ear and the key and then pulled to slidingly withdraw the key and destroy or mutilate the certificate,

such hook or pin being free to pass through the slot 4:. lVithout a hook or pin or the like it would be diliicult to withdraw the key when desired, especially if the appliance was still held flatly against the dash or other support bythe bolts, as the space, if any, between the back of the key and the dash or other support would be very slight, 1 From the above description and the drawing, it will be apparent that'the key tongue or eX- tension not Vonly provides for the mutilation or destruction of the certicate when the key is withdrawn, but it also, by fitting snugly in the groove or slot of the plate 17,y serves to lock the two members against slidable movement, as said plate at such a time con stitutes in effect a part of the front nieinber, and the channel containing the key is of course a part of the rear member.- The slidably together and conjointly providingy a chamber, the vfront member having a window opening;a plate fitting in the casing and transparent opposite the window opening and provided with a. groove in its rear face, a certificate'interposed between the back member of the casing and said plate and bridging said groovein the latter, and a key removably mounted in the casing and projecting through the certificate into said groove.

2. An appliance characterized as in claim ico l, and provided with means engaging one f of the casing members and the key to lock the latter against movement.

3. An appliance characterized as in claim l, and in which the key is provided with an opening, and a part extending through a part of the casing and the opening of the key to lock the latter in place. i y

4. in appliance of the character described,

comprising a pair of casing members fitted slidablv together andconjointly providing achainber, the front member' having a window opening; aV plate fitting in the ycasing and transparent opposite the window open-Y ing and provided with a groove in its reark face, a certificate interposed between the tending through the' certificate and into thek 5 groove bridged by said certificate,'the rear member proving a guide for compelling the key to travelsubstantially parallel With the ygrooved plate when being withdrawn7 to in# sure materialy mutilation or tearing yof the f certificate. c

. 5; A car identifying appliance, consisting of casing composed of a pair oi membersfitting slidably together, the front member having an opening and the back member an internal channel extending transversely with respect tothe slidable movement of the members when being fittedtogether or separated, the channel being rounded at one end` and open at the other, a plate fitted between the members and transparent where visible through said window7 and provided' in its rear side with a groove in the plane of the channel'of the back member, a certificate fitting between the back member and said plate and bridging the groove of the latter, and a key fitted for longitudinal' slidable movement inthe channel of' the back member and of ductile'character at its advanced end to be caused ywhen such end is pressed against the rounded end of' the channel to be deflected forwardly through the certificate and into the groove of said plate.

6. An appliance characterized as in claim 5, and provided with means for looking the key tothe casing. n

7 An appliance characterized as 1n claun 5, and providedwith means for locking ythe two members of' the casing against slidable movement and the key to one of the members of the casing. n

` In witness whereoi:l I hereunto affix my signature. f i

STRAUD K. Woon. 

